Rwanda Journal #5: Addis Ababa Airport

As I write this, I’m sitting in Terminal 1 at Addis Ababa Airport in Ethiopia, waiting for our connecting flight to Kigali, Rwanda. Try as I might, I can’t truly get a fix on the time. My computer clock says 10:12 pm, which tells me that for my husband Greg at home in California it’s still Saturday night. Hopefully he’s happily celebrating a Fighting Irish football victory over USC. For my friends in Boston who have been at the Catholic New Media Convention all day, they should be either closing down a local bar or heading off to sleep after a day full of learning about use of technology in the New Evangelization. It’s been fun to follow the conference via the #CNMC13 hashtag on Twitter.

Addis Ababa Airport, Ethiopia

The clock here in Addis Ababa says 8:16 am, but my body has no idea what time it wants to be living in. Our journey so far has been smooth and uncomplicated. After a short night of sleep and a 3:45 am wakeup call, we traveled to Dulles Airport in Washington DC to catch our early flight via Ethiopian Airlines. I was overjoyed to find myself in a bulkhead aisle seat with plenty of legroom and an empty seat next to me. Such things matter when you’ll be in the air for thirteen hours.

I can’t say enough about how wonderful the Ethiopian Airlines experience has been. The plane was super clean and bright. The flight attendants remained gracious and friendly throughout the entire flight. We only encountered one patch of turbulence, so it was overall a very comfortable experience. I caught up on some recent movies, slept for approximately an hour, and enjoyed the flight very much. While I had planned to sleep more, I think the excitement of this experience is still helping me to run on overdrive.

Here in Ethiopia, it’s clear to see that I need to make a trip back to Addis. The airport is modern, comfortable and equipped with a good, free wifi signal, so I’m a happy camper. I do really wish we could escape into the city for a few hours, but unfortunately that is not in the cards. There is a small Ethiopian cafe here in the terminal that serves delicious coffee, and a general atmosphere that makes it easy for me to ponder my blessings. My brain may be a bit muddled by the travel and lack of sleep, but I’m clear enough to recognize what an incredible experience we are already having.

I may have another journal entry later today, but wanted to share this update so that family and friends would know how well the trip is going so far. Keep those prayers coming, and know that I am returning them for all of you!

As a Catholic who loves her faith and a frequent adventurer who’s always up for a new journey, Lisa is a wife and mom, a writer, a speaker and an impassioned traveler. Visit her at LisaHendey.com to keep up with her comings and goings.